The Girl Behind
by celestine de karamel
Summary: Lily versus the Marauders, one sunny day during OWLs... from a very peculiar point of view.


"Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, titling it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed."  
  
- OoTp, page 565, British edition.  
  
*****************************  
  
*What is the best way to get rid of a Bulbeggar?*  
  
Mildred Campbell bit the bottom of her lip and tapped the point of her quill against the table. What was it that Professor Perkins had told them about the Bulbeggar again? She remembered something about a Shrinking spell. . . and the fact that it would lay across roads. . . Suddenly, the lesson came flowing back in her mind, and she scribbled down the answer.  
  
All around her, Mildred could hear the frantic scratching of quills, and the massive hour glass in the front of the room told that examination time was almost over. Defence Against the Dark Arts was not one of the easiest subjects, and she suspected many students had barely managed through half of the test.  
  
Of course, that wouldn't be a problem for him.  
  
Mildred looked up from her parchment and sighed wistfully. There he was, right in front of her, sitting in his chair like he didn't have a care in the world. He'd completed all the questions. How could anyone be so perfectly handsome and smart and the same time?  
  
Sirius Black was without a doubt the most amazing boy she'd ever met.  
  
"Five minutes to go!"  
  
Turning back to her parchment, Mildred found it hard to regain her concentration. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sirius's dark, silky hair fall gracefully on his neck. He was flashing a thumbs-up sign to someone a couple of rows up. Mildred didn't even have to look to know it was James Potter, his best friend. Both of them were in Gryffindor, and never would one see the first without the other. Truth to be told, Mildred didn't care much for James; she'd been assigned as his Potions partner once, and he'd spent the entire class loafing.  
  
Mildred set her quill down and reread her answers. A few of them were incomplete, but she felt as if she'd at least earned an "A". The Transfiguration test on the next day would surely be easier; she'd already practised turning fireflies into ball pens in the Hufflepuff common room the night before.  
  
"Quills down, please!" she heard Professor Flitwick squeak all of a sudden. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchments! Accio!"  
  
The tiny Charms professor flicked his wand around, sending all the parchment in the room zooming towards him at great speed and knocking him straight off his feet. Mildred bit back a laugh and started to put her things away in her bag.  
  
"Thank you. . . Thank you," Professor Flitwitck panted as he was lifted up by two students, under the amused looks of the other professors. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go."  
  
Mildred was on her way towards the exit when somebody bumped into her.  
  
"Oh, sorry. . ." said a distracted voice.  
  
It was Remus Lupin, a timid prefect who was also in Gryffindor. He was very pale, and always looked a bit sad. Mildred watched as he hurried to join Sirius, James and another boy, Peter Pettigrew, and wondered what made him so melancholic. Next to him, Sirius was laughing at something James had said, and Mildred felt a wave of impossible longing pass through her. Did he even know she existed? They'd never spoke, but he must've seen her when she was with Alice and Lily. . . Then again, Mildred thought miserably, who would ever be blind enough to pay attention to her when Lily Evans was around?  
  
Mildred scanned the crowd for her two friends and spotted them quickly. Alice was a plump, cheerful girl, and Chaser for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Lily was in Gryffindor; with her dark red hair and her dazzling green eyes, she was probably the prettiest girl in school. Mildred could see boys turning around to look at her as she passed, but Lily took no heed of them. In fact, the attention seemed to embarrass her more than anything else. Still, it was hard not to envy her.  
  
Out of the three, Mildred was the shyest and the most studious. She tended to keep a low profile, which wasn't very easy with her looks: her bright orange hair, her pale lashes and her multiple freckles made her feel as if someone had lit a match on her. Thus, Mildred tended to stay in the Library, where the lights weren't so bright, and her hard work had recently earned her a prefect badge. Her parents, both Muggles, had been very proud.  
  
"Oy, Milly!" Alice was waving her over with a grin. "How'd the test go?"  
  
"Alright, I suppose," Mildred answered. "I'm sure about question seven, though. . ."  
  
"Well, what's done is done, eh?" Lily said, slipping her arm into hers. "Let's go by the lake. It's too much of a beautiful day to spend it studying."  
  
The three girls headed towards the castle doors and passed a group of seventh-years on their way to their NEWT examinations. The two Head Prefects, Minerva McGonagall and Frank Longbottom, were walking in front. Alice giggled.  
  
"What's so funny?" Mildred asked.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Frank Longbottom."  
  
"Well, he's a terribly handsome bloke, isn't he?" Alice said, blushing.  
  
"Alice, he's Head Boy, captain of the Ravenclaw team, and in seventh year," Mildred reasoned. "Aren't you aiming a bit high?"  
  
"Oh, nonsense! All I have to do is ask him for Quidditch lessons and it's in the bag!"  
  
"Only you could get away with that," Lily laughed.  
  
Outside, it was warm and sunny. Many students were already sprawled on the lawn. Mildred could see Sirius, James, Peter and Remus lounge under a large beech tree. James was playing with a Snitch.  
  
"What a show-off," Lily sniffed as they sat down further away by the water, next to a chattering group of Ravenclaws.  
  
"Lils, you know he only does it to impress you," Alice said, picking a daisy. "I think it's cute."  
  
"It would be if he wasn't such a conceited prick," Lily replied darkly.  
  
"You have to hand to him, though," Mildred said fairly. "He's resourceful."  
  
Alice lay on her back and started to leaf the petals of the daisy. "Alright, so I have Frank, and Lily has James-"  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"- but what about you, Milly?" Alice continued, ignoring her. "Who's your prince charming?"  
  
Mildred felt her cheeks grow red. "Me? Oh, no one, really. . ."  
  
"Yeah, right," Lily said with a sly smile.  
  
"I'll bet it's Lucius Malfoy," Alice teased. "He's really nice, if you like cold-hearted snobs."  
  
"What about Raoul McMillan?"  
  
"No, no, wait, I got it! Severus Snape."  
  
All of them burst out giggling. "Thank a lot, girls, but I'm not that desperate."  
  
Lily and Alice shared an amused look. "Milly, we already know who you fancy," Alice said. "It's as obvious as the beard on Professor Dumbledore's chin."  
  
"Really?" Mildred squeaked.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure Sirius didn't notice," Lily assured her.  
  
"Of course he didn't, he doesn't even know I'm alive," Mildred mumbled. "I mean, he can have his pick of any girl in school, right? The day he'll deign look down on me. . ."  
  
"That's not what I meant, Milly. He's too busy fooling around with James Potter to -"  
  
Lily stopped short; she was looking in the direction of the beech tree, her eyes throwing daggers. Suddenly, she jumped up to her feet and stormed away. Alice and Mildred followed her, puzzled, and soon realised what was happening.  
  
A group of students were crowding around James and Sirius; both of them were looking quite pleased with themselves. Lying on the ground in front of them was Severus Snape; he was desperately trying to get up and reach his wand, but was apparently jinxed.  
  
"You - wait," Mildred heard him say. "You - wait!"  
  
"Wait for what?" Sirius said coolly. His voice was deep and musical. "What are you going to do, Snivelly , wipe your nose on us?"  
  
Severus let out a stream of curses and hexes. James was looking at him as if he was a bug he wanted to squash.  
  
"Watch your mouth," he said, raising his wand. "Scourgify!"  
  
Soap bubbles invaded Severus's mouth, making him gurgle and choke. Next to her, Mildred saw Lily glare at Sirius and James furiously.  
  
"Leave him ALONE!" she shouted.  
  
Both boys turned around. James raked a hand through his hair and smiled charmingly. "All right, Evans?" he said.  
  
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated coldly. "What's he done to you?"  
  
"Well," said James thoughtfully, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you see what I mean."  
  
Many students laughed, including Alice and Sirius. Try as she might, though, Mildred simply didn't see where the fun was.  
  
"You think you're funny," Lily snapped. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."  
  
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on. . . go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."  
  
Mildred would have doubted James's sincerity if it hadn't been for the flash of hope in his eyes. It was plain to see his feelings for Lily were strong. Lily, however, wasn't moved.  
  
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," she replied.  
  
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius, then turning back to Severus: "OI!"  
  
Severus had managed to crawl to his wand and was aiming it straight at James, soapsuds still falling from his mouth. A gash appeared on James's cheek, splattering him with blood, and Mildred heard Lily gasp. A second later, Severus was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head. Sirius, James and Peter laughed as others applauded.  
  
"Let him down!" Lily pleaded.  
  
"Certainly," James said.  
  
As soon as Severus had managed to his feet, he raised his wand again, but Sirius was the quickest. "Petrificus Totalus!"  
  
Mildred felt a surge admiration for his smooth attitude, his impish, careless ways, but a small voice inside was telling her that what he and James were doing was wrong. When Mildred tried to shake it away, it wouldn't cease.  
  
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily had her own wand in hand now and was pointing it menacingly at them.  
  
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James said.  
  
"Take the curse off him, then," Lily demanded.  
  
James sighed, shared a look with Sirius, and muttered the counter-curse.  
  
"There you go," he grumbled. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus - "  
  
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Severus spat.  
  
A deep, gutted shock struck Mildred, and all the sympathy she might have had for Severus vanished. It wasn't the first time she'd heard somebody call Lily a Mudblood, and remembered the times she'd been insulted in the same fashion. It was unspeakably humiliating.  
  
But Lily merely blinked. "Fine," she said in an icy tone. "I won't bother you in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."  
  
This time, Mildred laughed.  
  
"Apologise to Evans!" James roared, threatening Severus.  
  
"I don't want you to make him apologise," Lily yelled. "You're as bad as he is!"  
  
Mildred thought that was pushing it a bit too far. She glanced at Sirius, who was glaring at Lily as if she were mad.  
  
"What?" James yelled back indignantly. "I'd never call you a - you-know- what!"  
  
"Messing your hair up because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick," Lily continued, "showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."  
  
James looked like he'd been struck by thunder. "Evans! Hey, EVANS!" he shouted as Lily hurried away towards the castle.  
  
"Come on," Alice told Mildred, grabbing her arm and running after Lily.  
  
When they caught up with her, she was halfway up the entrance stairs.  
  
"Lils! Wait for us!" Alice called.  
  
Lily turned around. Mildred was surprised to see her eyes were filled with tears. "Are you all right?" she asked, worried.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lily croaked, blinking the tears away. "It's just that. . . he makes me so mad!"  
  
"Listen, want to go nag the houselves for a snack with us?" Alice suggested with a kind smile.  
  
"No. . . no, I'd rather be alone," Lily replied. "I'll see you two later."  
  
Mildred watched Lily disappear inside the castle, confused. James Potter was without a doubt a braggart and a trouble-maker, by why did it affect Lily so much?  
  
Alice shook her head. "If you ask me, she's got it bad for him."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Mildred frowned. "She hates his guts!"  
  
"Well, you know what they say: love and hate go hand in hand."  
  
Mildred said nothing. She was thinking about how Sirius had taunted Severus along with James; an uncomfortable feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach. Why couldn't she stand up to them like Lily did? Would Sirius then look at her the same way James looked at her friend?  
  
Mildred glanced over her shoulder, suddenly terribly weary. James and his friends were back to lounging under the tree like nothing had happened. Sirius was picking at the grass, lost deep in thought.  
  
"Oi, Milly, are you coming or what?"  
  
With one last look at the dark-haired boy, Mildred followed Alice up the stairs. No doubt, there would other sunny days to enjoy. 


End file.
